The invention pertains to digital media and more particularly, by way of example, to systems and methods for multimedia content sharing. The invention has application, by way of non-limiting example, in the sharing of images and other multimedia content between and among family, friends and other communities.
Digital cameras, both still and video, abound. One can hardly step into the streets of any modern city without witnessing multiple cameras in use. This has proven increasingly true since the advent of ultra-portable digital and video cameras, not to mention camera-equipped cell phones. The trend is likely to continue as manufacturers incorporate even better cameras into the ubiquitous cell phone.
The advances that have led to the upswing in picture-taking have not found parallel in picture sharing. Most users resort to printing their favorite pictures and hand-delivering, or mailing, them to friends and family. Those on the information superhighway may use e-mail to send photos but, as many will attest, e-mail client incompatibilies, image reader problems, firewall limitations, and lacking computer skills often frustrate recipients attempts to enjoy the fruits of these missives. While online photo sharing services, such as MySpace®, FaceBook®, help overcome some of these problems, they introduce new ones—not the least of which is nessitating would-be recipients to log on to their computers to see the latest uploads. So goes the art of passive viewing.
Video sharing technologies are even more wanting. The lack of e-mail support for all but the smallest of video files requires users to “burn” them into CDs or DVDs and hand-deliver or mail them to proposective recipients. Still, incompatibilies in storage formats and disk-reader capabilities often frustrate these efforts, as well. Those with sufficient skills may turn to online video sharing services, such as YouTube®, BlipTV®, to avoid these problems only to find, like users of their still photo sharing service counterparts, that they have introduced new ones.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to provide improved methods and apparatus for image sharing.
Related objects are to provide such methods and apparatus as can be used with still images, moving images (video), audio files, and other forms of multimedia content.
Further objects of the invention are to provide such methods and apparatus as reduce the potential that hardware, software and/or format incompatibilies will frustrate content sharing.
Yet other objects of the invention are to provide such methods and apparatus as can be easily used by young and old, those that are computer-savvy and not, alike.
Still yet further objects of the invention are to provide such methods and apparatus as bring together families, friends and other communities.
Yet still yet other objects of the invention are to provide such methods and apparatus as permit the sharing not only of multimedia content but, also, user feedback surrounding that content.